Everything You Need to Know About This Week in Food

Want to seem like you know what you’re talking about while discussing current events at the dinner table this week? Read through our essential guide to the week’s earth-shattering food news. Find out which restaurant critic publicly denounced tipping, what the newest pastry from Cronut creator Dominique Ansel is, and which fast food chain unleashed deep fried soup in Japan.

Food Magazine Lucky Peach Split from McSweeney's Publishing House

What happened: As of November, cultishly-followed food journal Lucky Peach will no longer be published through McSweeneys. Eater reports that the magazine's editorial staff will remain and "will always feel the same way about McSweeney's as Whitney Houston feels about Kevin Costner." That's sweet.
Who cares: Die-hard Lucky Peach fans, along with Adam Krefman—formerly the associate publisher at McSweeney's—who will join the Lucky Peach staff as publisher.
Further reading: Read Eater's recap and the full press release here.

Pete Wells Publicly Stated He Thinks Tipping is Stupid

What happened:New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells called tipping an "irrational, outdated, and ineffective" system for restaurants in an opinion piece that ran in Tuesday's paper. Pete's eloquent argument ignited more controversy about an already heavily debated topic. Wells says leaving a generous tip has no effect on the service you receive, because "servers have no way of telling that [good tippers] aren’t the hated type that leaves 10 percent of the pretax total, beverages excluded."
Who cares: Waitstaff in America, who consider tips their main source of income, as well as foreigners who don't understand why they have to tip while visiting the U.S.
Further reading: Check out Pete Wells' "Leaving a Tip: A Custom In Need of Changing?" story over at nytimes.com, and decide for yourself if you think tipping is an ineffective system.

Cronut Creator Dominique Ansel Debuted The "Magic Soufflé"

What happened: Dominique Ansel, Cronut inventor extraordinaire, debuted a “Magic Soufflé” at his Spring Street bakery on Friday, and it sold out in 15 minutes. The $7 soufflé has an orange-scented brioche exterior with a chocolate interior. Ansel instructs customers to eat the soufflé fresh out of the oven, so as to ensure that its molten chocolate center is still gooey.
Who cares: People waiting in line for a Cronut, because Ansel has moved on and so should you.
Further reading:Read our full report about the revolutionary confection.

California's Foie Gras Ban Was Upheld By Federal Court

What happened: The original California ban on delicious foie gras took effect in July 2012, on the grounds that the practice of force feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers is inhumane. But the law was challenged earlier this summer by a coalition of duck farmers and Los Angeles restaurant owners, who filed a lawsuit against the recently implemented ban, claiming that it is “unconstitutional, vague, and interferes with federal commerce laws.” This past week, a panel of three judges from the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban.
Who cares: Ducks and geese can continue to rejoice while Cali gastronomes hang their heads in sadness. But most California chefs don't seem to give a damn about the ban—many have found loopholes in the law and continue serving the delicacy anyway.
Further reading: Read more about the court's decision on latimes.com.

New Hypebeast Food Alert: The Bantam Bagel Hole Made Its Debut

What happened: Cream-filled, bite sized bagels have descended upon the world, courtesy of West Village bagel shop Bantam Bagels. Although we have our reservations about this new hypebeast food, “The Slice” bagel hole variety—which is filled with marinara and mozzarella and topped with pepperoni—does sound pretty f**king great. In other news, a restaurant opened in nearby Greenwich Village this week serving only potatoes.
Who cares: I am sure that all the elderly Jews in Brooklyn would be rolling in their graves knowing that bagel holes are about to take over the foodie universe, Cronut-style.
Further reading: Peep all the bantam bagel hole varieties here.

KFC Japan Unleashed Chopstick-Friendly Deep Fried Soup

What happened: This Thursday, KFC Japan started serving deep-fried corn potage fritters—aka fried balls of corn soup. "Corn potage is a popular soup in Japan, found anywhere from upscale cafes to convenience stores like 7-Eleven," reports The Huffington Post. We know what you're thinking: How the hell do you deep fry soup? A glob of corn potage is covered in batter and then chucked in the deep fryer. Still confused? Come on, it's just like deep frying a root beer float.
Who cares: People who like deep fried corn fritters? The Japanese?
Further reading: Read more about the shocking news here.

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